Steam generator



Nov. 9, 1937. H. N. F. VERLOOP 2,093,841

STEAM GENERATOR 7 Filed April 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Nov. 9,1937. H. N. F. VERLOOP STEAM GENERATOR Filed April 10, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

122. LIQUID HEATERS & VAPORIZERS,

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES ILXGIIIIHUT PATENT OFFICE STEAMGENERATOR Hendrik N. F. Verloop, Amsterdam, Netherlands,

assignor of one-third to The Heil 00., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Application April 10, 1937, Serial No. 136,108

11 Claims.

My present invention relates in general to improvements in the art ofgenerating steam, and relates more specifically to improvements in theconstruction and operation of boilers for converting liquid into steamfor diverse uses.

Generally defined, an object of my present invention is to provide animproved steam generator which is extremely compact in construc tion,and which is moreover highly eflicient in operation.

Some of the more specific objects and advantages of the invention may bedefined as follows:-

To provide an improved boiler unit adapted to constantly, rapidly, andmost effectively convert a stream of liquid into steam at any desiredhigh pressure.

To provide a steam generating unit which is durable in construction andreliable in operation, and which occupies minimum space thereby makingit especially adapted for use in the propulsion of vehicles for land,air or water.

To provide an improved steam generator of the rotary type, which may befired by oil or gas, and directly within the rotor confining casing ofthe unit.

To provide a combined boiler and steam superheater, wherein the heatlosses are reduced to a minimum, and which has maximum capacityconsidering the space occupied by the complete installation. V

To provide a boiler plant which may be readily manufactured, installedand operated, and which can be conveniently produced in portable units.

To provide improved mechanism for constantly introducing water or otherliquid into a rotary steam producing chamber, and for applying heatedgases to such a chamber.

To provide various improvements in the construction and operation ofrotary steam generators, whereby the efiiciency and safety of suchdevices is enhanced to a maximum without introducing structuralcomplications.

The above and other objects and specific advantages will be apparentfrom the following detailed description.

A clear conception of embodiments of the various features constitutingmy present invention, and of the mode of constructing and of operatingsteam generators built in accordance with the improvements, may be hadby referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification wherein like reference characters designate the same orsimilar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section through one of theimproved steam generating units;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the steam generating rotor of the unit shown inFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the steam generatingunit, taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a radial section through a fragment of the steam generatingunit, the section being taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragment of the rotor showing the structure fordelivering the feed water to the steam generating chamber.

While my invention has been shown rather diagrammatically and as beingapplied to a particular style of rotary steam generator, especiallyadapted for converting water into steam, it is not the intent to therebyunnecessarily restrict the scope, since some of the novel features mayobviously be applied to other types of boilers for converting otherfluent materials such as mercury into vapor.

Referring to the drawings, the improved steam generating unit showntherein by way of illustration, comprises in general a centrally dividedmain casing 8 having a lining 9 of refractory material formingoppositely disposed firing chambers I; an annular revolving casing IIrotatably supported within the fixed casing 8 between the chambers Illby means of a central hollow rotary shaft I 2 coacting with end bearingsl3, and forming a steam generating chamber I 4 surrounding thesupporting shaft; a feed water supply pipe l disposed centrally withinthe shaft l2 and communicating through small radial passages l6 andradial pipes I T with the interior of the chamber M; a series of spiraltubular elements l8 supporting the revolving casing I I concentricallyof and upon the shaft I2, and forming steam conducting conduits leadingfrom the chamber I4 to the interior of the shaft beyond the transversepartition l9; fluent fuel supply burners each having a fuel injectionnozzle 20 and an air supply casing 2| extending tangentially of therotor casing II and directed into an adjacent combustion chamber [0through a refractory member 22; and spent gas conduits 23 located onopposite sides of the casing 8 and extending away from the rotorconfining chamber of this casing near the steam delivery ends of thetubular elements Ill.

The sections of the main casing 8 may be firmly but detachably connectedby means of a series of bolts 24, and the refractory lining 9 is alsopreferably formed of several renewable sections as shown. The tubularrevolving casing II is rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrowIn Fig. 3, and the annular steam generating chamber I4 formed by thecasing I I is pierced by a series of tubes 25 forming hot gas conductingconduits which connect the combustion chambers ID with the spacesurrounding the spiral tubular elements I8 and which communicatelaterally with both of the gas discharge conduits 23. The spent gasconducting conduits 23 may be connected by pipes 26 either with a heaterfor the feed water admitted through the central pipe I5, or with jackets2'I surrounding the combustion air supply pipes 28, or the spent gasesmay be utilized for any other purpose. In order to compel all of thegases of combustion from within the chambers III, to pass through theheat transfer tubes 25, the opposite sides of the revolving casing I Iare preferably provided with suitable baffles or rotary seals. As shownin Figs. 1 and 2, each of these seals comprises a series of circulartubes 29 secured to the adjacent side of the casing I I andcommunicating with the steam generating chamber I4 through a series ofopenings, these tubes 29 being revolvable within correspondingly shapedannular recesses 30 formed in the refractory lining 9,

The heat transfer tubes 25 are preferably disposed tangent to a circlesurrounding the axis of the rotor shaft I2, and extend inwardly in adirection opposite to the direction of normal rotation so that the hotgases injected into the chambers III by the tangential members 22 willflow through the tubes 25 with least resistance. The fuel supply burnerswhich are shown diagrammatically only, may be of any suitable typewherein the nozzles 20 are either manually or automatically adjustableto control the fluent fuel supply, and in which fresh combustion air isconstantly delivered from a fan or blower through the pipes 28 and airsupply casings 2| to produce a combustible mixture, which is ignited inthe diverging refractory members 22 in a well known manner. The burnersand the supporting members 22 are preferably detachably connected to themain casing 8 so as to permit convenient removal of these parts; forinspection of the chambers I0.

The feed water supply pipe I5 may communicate with any suitable source,and the diaphragm in the shaft I2 within which the passages I6 areformed, is provided with an annular series of through openings 3| forpermitting free passage of the generated steam therethrough. Thedelivery end of each of the radial pipes I1, is provided with a specialatomizing and deflecting nozzle 32 as shown enlarged in Fig. 5. Thesenozzles 32 besides being formed to deliver the preheated feed water inthe form of a fine spray into the steam generating chamber I4, areadapted to deliver this spray tangentially between the inclined tubes 25and in the direction of rotation of the casing II. The outer ends of thespiral tubular elements I8 are in open communication with the steamgenerating chamber I4 along the inner side of the casing II and betweenthe inner ends of the gas conducting tubes 25, while the inner ends ofthe tubular elements I8 communicate with the interior of the hollowshaft I2.

The casings 8, II, tubes 25, I8 and the shaft I2 are all preferablyformed of corrosion resisting material having high heat conductivity,and the rotor may be revolved at any suitable speed in any convenientmanner. While the rotor supporting bearings I3 have been shown ratherdiagrammatically, these bearings should be formed to effectivelywithstand the relatively high temperatures to which they will besubjected during normal operation of the steam generating unit.

During normal operation of the improved steam generator, the rotor isbeing revolved at high speed in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. 3, hot gases of combustion are being injected into the combustionchambers I0 located above and below the rotor, and feed water is beingconstantly supplied in regulated quantities through the pipe I5,passages I6 and pipes I! to the steam generating chamber I4. The hotgases generated within the combustion chambers I0, pass through thetubes 25 and through the space surrounding the spiral tubular elementsI8, being thereafter discharged through the openings 23 and pipes 26. Inthe event that these hot gases are utilized to preheat the air deliveredto the casings 2|, the spent gases passing through the pipes 26 aredelivered through the jackets 21, but these spent gases may be utilizedfor any other desirable heating purposes. As the feed water flows inregulated quantities through the pipes I'I, it is heated by the hotgases flowing thereabout, and the nozzles 32 subsequently deliver thepreheated feed water in atomized form into the steam generating chamberI4 between the tubes 25 and along the same, as indicated in Fig. 3. Theatomized liquid is quickly converted into dry steam as it proceedstoward the periphery of the revolving casing II, and the pressure thuscreated forces the steam through the spiral tubular elements I8 andthrough the pipe I2 to a source of utilization, as indicated in Fig. 1.It will thus be noted that the steam generator functions to constantlyconvert the feed water into steam at any desired pressure, so long asthe rotor is revolving and hot gases are generated in the combustionchambers I0.

It should be noted that the disposition of the tubes 25 and theformation of the nozzles 32 is of relative importance since theseelements cooperate to most effectively convert the atomized liquid intosteam. The generated steam is constantly and quickly delivered from thesteam generating chamber I4 by the spiral tubular elements I8, and theannular seals 29 function to compel all of the hot gases from within thechambers III, to flow through the tubes 25 and around the spiral tubularelements I8 and pipes I1. During the passage of the hot gases about theelements I8 and pipes I1, the steam passing through the former and thefeed Water flowing through the latter, are heated by these gases so asto reduce to a minimum the temperature of the waste gases and therebyincrease to a maximum the efficiency of the steam generating unit. Theassemblage is obviously relatively simple in construction and isunquestionably very compact and has enormous steam generating capacity.The operation of the unit is moreover entirely automatic, and all partsthereof are readily accessible for inspection and cleaning. While meanshave been shown for utilizing the waste gases delivered from the pipes26 for the purpose of preheating the air admitted to the combustionchambers through the pipes 28, some or all of these waste gases may beutilized for the purpose of heating the feed water entering the pipe I5,and any suitable meansmay obviously be utilized for the purpose ofrevolving the rotary steam generating chamber.

'It should be understood that it is not desired to 122. ucum HEATERS &VAPORIZERS,

limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to theprecise mode of operation herein shown and described, for variousmodifications within the scope of the claims may occur to personsskilled in the art.

I claim:-

1. In a steam generator, a casing forming an annular chamber revolvableabout its axis of annularity, means for conducting hot gases inwardlythrough said chamber, atomizing nozzles for delivering liquid outwardlywithin said chamber, and means for conducting steam away from saidchamber inwardly toward said axis.

2. In a steam generator, a casing forming a revolving steam generatingchamber, a fuel combustion chamber surrounding said casing, means forconducting hot gases from said combustion chamber inwardly through saidsteam generating chamber, a series of atomizing nozzles for deliveringliquid outwardly within said steam generating chamber between said hotgas conducting means, and means for conducting steam inwardly away fromsaid steam generating chamber.

3. In a steam generator, a casing forming a revolving steam generatingchamber, a fuel combustion chamber surrounding said casing, means forconducting hot gases from said combustion chamber inwardly through saidsteam generating casing forming a steam generating chamber, a

shaft rotatably supporting said casing, a series of conduits extendinginwardly through said chamber, means for delivering atomized liquid intosaid chamber, steam conducting element's connecting said casing and saidshaft, and means for delivering heating medium through said conduits andalong said steam conducting elements.

5. In a steam generator, an annular tubular casing forming a steamgenerating chamber, a shaft rotatably supporting said casing, a seriesof conduits penetrating said chamber and extending tangentially withrespect to a circle surrounding the axis of said shaft, means fordelivering atomized liquid into said chamber between said conduits,steam conducting means leading from said chamber, and means fordelivering beating medium through said conduits.

6. In a steam generator, an annular tubular LAGIIHHUI' casing forming asteam generating chamber, a shaft rotatably supporting said casing, aseries of conduits penetrating said chamber and extending tangentiallywith respect to a circle surrounding the axis of said shaft, means fordelivering atomized liquid into said chamber between said conduits,steam conducting conduits connecting said casing with said shaft, andmeans for delivering heating medium through said chamber penetratingconduits and along and between said steam conducting conduits.

7. In a steam generator, an annular tubular casing pierced by a seriesof gas conducting conduits, a rotary support for said casing, a seriesof spiral conduits connecting said casing and said support, atomizingnozzles for delivering liquid to said casing, and means for deliveringheating medium to said gas conducting conduits.

8. In a steam generator, an annular tubular casing pierced by a seriesof gas conducting conduits, a rotary support for said casing, a seriesof spiral conduits connecting said casing and said support, means fordelivering liquid to said casing, means forming a combustion chambercommunicating directly with the outer ends of said gas conductingconduits, and means for conducting the gases from the inner ends of saidconduits along said spiral conduits.

9. In a steam generator, means forming an annular steam generatingchamber rotatable about an axis, a. series of nozzles for deliveringatomized liquid outwardly into said chamber and in the direction ofrotation thereof, and a series of hot gas conducting conduits extendinginward ly through said chamber and in a direction opposite to saidrotation.

10. In a steam generator, a main casing forming a combustion chamber andhaving a gas outlet, a rotary casing housed within said main casing andbeing exposed to said chamber, a series of conduits penetrating saidrotary casing and connecting said chamber with said outlet, and meansfor injecting atomized liquid into said rotary casing around saidconduits.

l1.In a steam generator, a main casing forming a combustion chamber andhaving a gas outlet, a rotary casing housed within said main casing andbeing exposed to said chamber, a series of conduits penetrating saidrotary casing and connecting said chamber with said outlet, means forinjecting atomized liquid into said rotary casing around said conduits,and means for conducting steam away from said rotary casing through thegases leaving said main casing through said outlet.

HENDRIK N. F. VERLOOP.

